Happy Halloween! Collect a Bag of Celestial Treats and New Record-Breaking Asteroids this Haunted Weekend

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This week in the world of astronomy, enjoy some scarry good celestial treats and discover new record-breaking asteroids. Plus, did Van Gogh find inspiration in the Hyades Cluster?

Have a Screamingly Good Halloween Week

From the Scream Nebula to bobbing for planets in daylight, Halloween offers an ample bag of treats.

Did Venus and the Hyades Star Cluster Inspire Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’?

A team of researchers claims the Hyades star cluster may form the heart of van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” Others aren’t so sure.

A Satellite Company Tests “Sunlight As A Service”

The California demonstration by Reflect Orbital used spotlights to imitate sunlight-reflecting satellites.

Rubin Observatory Detects Record-Breaking Asteroids

The Rubin Observatory has detected thousands of new asteroids, including several that spin a lot faster than expected for typical rubble piles.

Possible New Dwarf Planet in the Solar System

Astronomers have identified more than 1,000 outer solar system objects in data from the Rubin Observatory — including a possible new dwarf planet.

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Observing Highlights

This Week's Sky at a Glance, October 30 – November 8

Halloween evening is moonless this year. But once the night is dark, find Saturn glowing balefully as the brightest dot in the east. Tell your spooked kids it's watching them, and see if they believe it.

Astro Photobombs: These Things Can Ruin Your Image

Unexpected vibrations, airplanes, and satellites can ruin your exposures without you knowing it — here's what to look for.

Saturn-and-Moons-23-25Oct2026-web1 image

October Podcast: Saturn is a “Star”

This episode takes you on a tour of the stars and planets that you’ll see overhead during October.

Presented by: Celestron.

Airdrie Observatory Open Evening

Enjoy a warm welcome by astronomers from the Airdrie Astronomical Association to this one of their regular Tuesday night public open evenings of the Airdrie Observatory.

Focusing is Where Many Imaging Sessions are Won

A manual focuser can slip under the weight of a camera and imaging accessories. ESATTO is an all-in-one robotic focuser with high resolution and load capacity to carry a full imaging train. It works natively with EAGLE and PLAY, and with most astrophotography software via ASCOM. You focus on the image, ESATTO takes care of the focus. Until November 30, ESATTO 2", 3" and 4" (LP models excluded) are available with a 10% discount for S&T readers, while supplies last.

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